James Lilllywhite's Cricketers' Annual 1880

1 4 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' A N N U A L . T ground was very fair , but chances cannot be thrown away when there are seven- teen mento get out instead of ten ; nor, for the matter of that , in the latter case either , and here , as throughout our tour , catches were missed in the most un- accountable way. Messrs . Hornby and Webbe played sound cricket for their respective scores . The second innings of the Eighteen showed up our weakness in bowling , suggesting the possibility of long ' outings ,' eventually fully realised . W ehad only 63 to get to win, but our wickets began to fall with such unpleasant rapidity that the match became really exciting ; though , thanks to Mr. Hornby, and two useful contributions from Mr. Royle and Emmett , it ended satisfactorily to us . The heat on the third day was rather overpowering , 110 ° in the shade , with a hot wind . The skin peeled off our arms and noses in a mostunpleasant way. Everycricket ground that I saw in Australia is of the same shape , an oval , generally planted round with the perpetual gum-tree , to the detriment of a good light . Now, gum-trees afford little or no shade , and consequently are of little.com- fort to lookers -on , so that it seems a pity to plant them behind the wickets , on grounds which, but for the bad light , possess as perfect batting wickets as can possibly be imagined . The out -fielding is generally rough , but when the great heat is taken into consideration , and the quantity of water required for the match wickets , it is not to be wondered at.. After an entertainment at the club w ewentonboardthe s.s. Victoria boundfor Melbourne. T h evessel was crowded from stem to stern , carrying , if I remember right , twenty or thirty more passengers than she was licensed for, and, to increase our discomforts , we ran out of soda-water, ice , and meat eight hours from Melbourne. Νου. 16. Landedat Sandridge at 3.30 P.M. Received by the Honourable J. G. Francis , the President , and other members of the Victorian C.A. Driven up to Melbourne to the town hall , and welcomed by the mayor. W ewere most comfortably established throughout our long stay in Melbourne at the Oriental Hotel , opposite the Melbourne Club . Some of the accounts of our arrival and appearance in some of the papers were , if not distinguished for their veracity , at least amusing ; one put down our average height as about the sameas A. Bannerman's , who is, I should say at a guess , a little shorter than G.G. Hearne. The next nine days were pleasantly passed in practising , lawn- tennis , paying and receiving visits &c., and on the 25th we played a one- day match against the Melbourne Club on the Yarra Bend ground . were at the wickets the whole day, getting 434. Mr. Lucas played a grand innings of 100 and odd (I think ). The Liberal ' papers were furious with the Melbourne Club for playing Kendal and McShane against us in this game, as these two professionals were supposed to be the best bowlers we should have against us in our next match . Traitorous ' was the mildest epithet applied to the club . How bar emcabred W e Dec. 25. At the Antipodes , everything is done to remind visitors of Christmas doings in England . Ferns take the place of holly , and a dust -storm perchance of snow, but (tell it not in Gath) we had a fire on our Christmas dayinAustralia , which is not customary , as well as turkey and plum pudding whichare ; and we did not forget to drink a health to ' absent friends.ef oft deur Dec. 26th. Second match : v. Fifteen of Victoria . Aperfect wicket , andour weakness in the bowling department , will at once account for the long score madeby the Victorians . M y old companion in-arms Mr. Campbell showed us that his right arm had not forgot the cunning which was so soon appreciated on the House and Magdalen cricket grounds at Oxford , playing a first -class innings of over one hundred with hardly a chance . Alexander hit with